The Fresno Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1K7GUy2 ) that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say the California High-Speed Rail Authority and Federal Railroad Administration are out of compliance with environmental commitments for building the bullet-train line in the Fresno-Madera area. They claim a contractor’s preliminary work infringed on habitat for the fox. Officials broke ground on the initial phase of the project in January.

The San Joaquin kit fox, about the size of a cat, has been on the federal endangered species list since 1967.

In a letter, a Fish and Wildlife official chastised the agencies for work done by contractor Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons.

A biologist hired by the contractor determined that the potential San Joaquin kit fox den near the Fresno site was not active last summer.

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The agency’s hiring surge is only for half of the funds generated under SB 1; the other half is going to cities and counties for transportation improvements projects, which are also expected to generate new jobs.